Your father doesn’t take his meds? Why? What solutions are in place to turn his behavior around, thereby saving all parties money? Read about consumer trends in pharmacy benefit management in this issue’s feature on page 37.
Developing relationships with consumers, using the Internet to drive efficiency, meeting consumers where they are—all of these tactics fall under what is becoming known as alternative care.
Alternative care solutions focus on the consumer and, through the employer, provide a myriad of evolving choices that treat employees as real customers. There’s no blame game here. No blaming consumers for feeling entitled to using their insurance benefits, for skipping preventative care, for skimping on treatment. No, just positive solutions to help consumers do everything from afford medication to make important medical decisions to primary care physician advocacy, all of which in the end lower costs and improve quality. Read about some of these solutions in the special supplement, Alternative Care Trends, beginning on page 25.
Also in this issue, and perhaps only in CDHC Solutions, read an analysis of Senator McCain’s health care platform as it affects mid- to large-size employers (page 21). No sugarcoating included. You can see the facts for yourself. Not that either McCain’s or Obama’s health care platforms would actually fly through Congress, as stated in this issue and previous ones, but it’s worthwhile to consider the solutions they will be proposing and understand their impact on employers.
You will see plenty of ideas and solutions that are systematically improving and changing our health care system in these pages of CDHC Solutions magazine, in prior issues, and in future ones. Sound ideas and judgments are important for our leaders to possess as all stakeholders tackle health care reform, and we invite you to comment on this important election in the various articles about health care reform on www.CDHCSolutionsMag.com.
This issue also highlights critical care insurance (page 19) and new progress in measuring stress and its effects on our bodies (page 17 and page 50).
If you have not signed up on www.CDHCSolutionsMag.com yet, we invite you to join. You’ll find not only article archives but also many opportunities to communicate instantly with your peers around the country, ask questions, share insights, take polls, and access the latest resources and information.
We look forward to hearing from you. We hope you enjoy this issue!
Sincerely,